In the middle of all of my writer's block, I finally had a couple of ideas.... and I was bored, so I typed them up and then sat on them. Both are controversial - I honestly don't aim to be controversial, I just don't steer clear of it. But oh well. Here is the first of two controversial posts, and this is one I blogged about before, but had new thoughts on:
I tipped the waitress, but not the maid.......
Earlier this month, I took a 2-day trip to the Amish section of Ohio. I spent two days shopping, eating, and enjoying the Amish countryside while picking up the many free items that came with the package deal I bought at the Inn I stayed at. Two of those freebies were dinner out at my choice of 3 restaurants, and breakfast out at my choice of 3 restaurants. I usually tip around 20%, but the restaurant I had dinner at didn't even charge me for a beverage..... so my bill was $0. Any percent of 0 is......0. So I got off without a tip there......just kidding. I tipped accordingly to what the meal would have cost. I had to pay for my beverage for my free breakfast, but again I tipped according to what the meal would have cost.
And then it came time for me to check out of my room. During my stay, there was a small green envelope lying on the dresser that informed me that "Ina" and some other lady had cleaned my room (I only remember Ina because it isn't a common name.) I knew what the envelope was there for. They wanted me to put some cash in the envelope as a tip for cleaning my room. I left none.
There is an expensive coffee shop called Crazy Mocha at both hospitals I work at. I rarely purchase anything there as they are too pricey, but I have bought a frozen drink there occasionally, probably not even once a month on average. I recently bought a Pittsburgh Hot Chocolate there, which is basically a frozen hot chocolate. They have a little cup on their counter for tips. As if I wasn't paying enough for my Pittsburgh Hot Chocolate....... Needless to say, I didn't put anything in the cup. It really bugs me when there is a tip jar on the counter of a take out business such as a coffee or pizza place.
Now stop raising your eyebrows at me and thinking I am cheap. If you are one of those people who thinks the barista and maid should be tipped, I have a couple of questions for you:
Who decides who gets tipped, and how does not get tipped? Seriously. Nobody tips everyone that does any kind of service for them. Everyone draws the line somewhere..... so who draws that line? Is there some secret government agency who decides these things?
Why should the maid get tipped, but not the guy who changes your oil or changes your tires?
Why should the barista get tipped, but not the guy who bags your groceries?
Why should your barber or hairdresser get tipped, but not the telephone repairman?
Really..... who decides who gets tipped, and who does not?
I work at a hospital, and one of my duties is to push people where they need to go in a wheelchair. That takes a lot more effort than making a coffee, so am I not more deserving of a tip than a person making coffee? And no, I don't expect tips and probably am not supposed to take them anyway....... I am just trying to make a point.
Pretty much all waitresses get paid a low wage and have to make up most of their money in tips. That is not the case with barbers, maids, baristas, and a lot of other people who seem to think they deserve a tip for doing their job. I don't know about pizza delivery people, but if you're too lazy to go out and get the pizza yourself, then you should tip them for bringing the pizza to you anyway.........
Could it be that we have become greedy? Isn't getting paid for doing your job well enough? Why do all of these people need tipped for doing what they are supposed to be doing? If the room isn't cleaned, and the maids consistently don't do their job, they will be fired and replaced.......and if not, the inn will close down. No one wants to stay in a room that has not been cleaned. If the barber or hairdresser does a poor job, they won't keep their jobs or business very long. Why do they need - or think they need - more than a thank-you for doing what they were hired to do? And a better question: why do they deserve a tip more than the countless other workers who do not get tipped?
Don't get me wrong: people should tip whoever they feel like tipping. What bugs me is when it is expected and when others think you should also tip those people.
So tip the barber, barista, and maid if you wish, but don't expect me to unless you can come up with a really good reason why you do not tip these and more:
Department store cashiers
Department store employees who help you find something
The tire shop guy
The oil change guy
The mailman
The telephone repairman
The nurse
The doctor
The hospital receptionist
The hospital security guard
The stock boy
The computer technician
I could go on, but you get the point. We run across countless people who provide some service for us on a daily basis who we do not tip. Many of these people work harder to provide a service than most of the people who do get tipped. I have yet to hear a good reason for this, and it may just remain one of the big mysteries of the universe.
And maybe we need to do away with tipping completely. Am I the only one who ever wonders how much of the waitress' friendliness is put on to get a better tip? How good of service would you receive from your waitress if she (or he) knew they would get paid the same no matter how friendly they were to you and no matter what kind of service they provided?
I have found myself wondering things like that before. I have had waitresses that turned on the charm and have been very flirtatious (the joke is on them since I am not attracted to females). I have wondered as these women have gone overboard being friendly and helpful, how differently they might act if they were not trying to get a good tip. And are we tipping people for being fake? If these same individuals met you outside of their job, how friendly would they be? Are we really tipping for good service, or are we tipping for fake charm, friendliness, and flirting? Oh, I am sure there are individuals that wait on tables who are genuinely friendly and aren't doing it to just get a good tip........ but it makes one wonder.
No comments:
Post a Comment